Still afraid
by apona222
Summary: Even though it has been weeks since the whole Phantom lord incident, Lucy can't help but still be afraid of Gajeel. After freaking out in the guild Natsu decides to help her with her fear. (bad summary, please read.) NaLu- but can be seen as friendship or romance.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy tail in any way shape or form. :'(**

 **But anyway please enjoy. :D**

* * *

(Lucy's P.O.V)

It's been a week since the whole battle of Fairy tail thing Laxus started. I heard about what happened with Natsu and how both him and Gajeel teamed up to defeat Laxus .I was really surprised when I heard that, I mean I knew Natsu was strong but to defeat an S class wizard as strong as Laxus, plus he teamed up with Gajeel I thought Natsu hated Gajeel, but I guess he may have needed the help.

Everyone seems to be warming up to Gajeel since he joined the guild; some are still hesitant towards him like Natsu, Jet and Droy. Levy seems to like him now and has forgiven him completely after what he did during phantom lord, me however I will admit he still terrifies me whenever I see him. I just can't get the memory out of my head of how he beat me and I keep imagining what he would have done if Natsu hadn't shown up when he did. I know it's silly for me to be scared of him since it's obvious he has changed but I can't help it.

"Luce…Lucy…LUCY!" I was startled out of my thoughts by someone shouting at me. I look around quickly and see that Natsu was the one yelling.

"Yeah Natsu, did you want something?" I ask him when he just stares at me.

"I asked if you wanted to go on a job with me since you're always complaining about not having rent money but you were all spacey." I just hum a response and go back to my strawberry milkshake Mira made me. "Luce, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine just thinking." I tell him hoping that will settle him. He gives me concerned look but nods anyway so I think he believes me. "So about that job, how about you go and pick a request."

"Yeah! Happy go get us a job" Natsu yelled and Happy flew off to the request board to pick one. I smack my head on the bar, Oh Mavis I think I might regret this.

"So you're going on a job then flame brain." I heard Gray say from somewhere in the guild

"What's it to you ice princess" Natsu replies, yep here we go again they're starting another fight.

"Wanna go Flame breath."

"Bring it on Ice freak"

"Seriously, lame insults guys" I mutter under my breath. I let out a sigh of irritation but I guess you can never stop these two from fighting I just hope not too many others decide to join in, we don't need another all-out brawl this early in the morning.

"Salamander! You're not starting a fight without me are you" I freeze at the sound of the voice that came from right behind me. Why am I freaking out right now. I knew Gajeel was here and obviously he would join in the fight, I just didn't expect him to be so close to me at this moment. Just a minute ago he was sat at the opposite side of the guild.

"Lu, are you okay?" I heard Levy ask. I guess that's why Gajeel was here, he must have come over with Levy. I take a deep breath in and look up at her with a smile

"Yeah of course I am Levy why wouldn't I be?" I ask with fake happiness I'm trying really hard not to freak out since Gajeel is right next to me.

"You just seemed to tense up really badly when you heard Gajeel." She says. Oh no I was hoping no one saw that. I start panicking on the inside I went to brush it off but I noticed Gajeel had turned to look at us at the mention of his name. Just seeing those red eyes staring at me just like they did just a few weeks ago reminding me exactly of what happened set something off.

"N-no Levy I-I-I'm o-o-k-ay" I stuttered a reply. I just need to get away from him as quickly as I can. I get up from the stool leaving behind a confused Levy and run towards the doors.

"Hey Luce where are you going?" I hear Natsu yell but I just ignore him and run out of the guild. As soon as I'm home and far away from Gajeel I'll calm down and return but for now just being in the same building as him is freaking me out. 

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(Lucy's apartment)

I sigh when I get back to my apartment. Now that i'm finally away from Gajeel I can think clearly. What did I do? I was such and idiot back there. I could have played it off but no I just had to go and freak out, now everyone's going to be asking about it and I have no idea what to tell them. I'm just going to take a relaxing bath and calm down some more.

"Hey Luce" I scream when I see Natsu just sat on my bed when I walk into my room. I should so be use to this already, but how did he get to my apartment quicker than I did, I left way before and I didn't even hear him come after me. Actually I don't really care to know.

"Natsu get out!" I yell at him but he just smirks at me instead of leaving. I sigh but there's not a lot I can do about it. I just hope he doesn't say anything about what happened in the guild.

"So Lucy, Why did you just freak out and leave like that? I thought we were going on a job." Natsu asked. Of course he's going to ask about it, I was a complete idiot after all.

"It's nothing Natsu, Just leave it alone" There is no way I can tell him the truth, he'll just laugh and think i'm a coward for being afraid like I am.

"No there is defiantly something wrong. I don't think I have ever seen you freak out like that before, Well not in the guild anyway." Natsu says and he does have a point. I have always felt safe in the guild, Until Gajeel anyway.

"Natsu I said it's fine." I try to convince him but he gets this serious look on his face and I can tell he's not going to drop it anytime soon.

"Lucy why wont you tell me what's wrong? I can't help if I don't know the problem. I thought we were partners." Natsu looks at me and his eyes look hurt because I wont tell him. I sigh, I guess I have to tell him now. Hey maybe he wont laugh at me that much.

"Fine, the reason I freaked out in the guild is..." I start and Natsu leans in closer waiting for me to say. I take a deep breath and continue "... is because i'm still really afraid of Gajeel." I close my eyes waiting for the laughing but I don't hear anything. I open my eyes to see Natsu staring at me with sympathy.

"Oh Luce." he says and the next thing I know Natsu grabs me into a hug, being this close to him and having all the bottled up emotions I can't help it and I start crying into his chest.

"I can't help it. I don't want to be afraid I really don't, but whenever I see him or hear him all Iremember is what he done to the guild and Levy. I feel the fear and pain he gave me when he was beating and throwing me around because he was bored. I always end up imagining what would of happened if you hadn't gotten there on time, He would have killed me and he almost killed you" I let all my pent up thoughts and feeling till I stop crying.

"Lucy why didn't you tell me this?" Natsu asks, I look down in shame thinking about the reason why I refused to tell him.

"I thought you would laugh at me and think I was weak" I tell him and he looks hurt, Why did I ever think Natsu would do that, He's my partner of course he wouldn't laugh at me. "I know it was stupid of me to think that I am so sorry."

"Well it doesn't matter, You've told me now." He says and I smile at him. I am so glad to have such an understanding partner "Now let's go, we still have a job to do." I laugh as he pulls me out of my apartment to the guild.

* * *

(Back to the guild)

Natsu slams the guild doors open and drags me inside, Of course Natsu can't enter the room like a normal person, no, he just has to draw attention to himself in the process. I laugh at him, I go to sit at the bar but Natsu has yet to let go of my wrist.

"Natsu can you let go?" I ask, Instead of letting go like I though he would he just smiles at me.

"Not yet Luce, I need to do something and I can't have you running away while I do it." He says and i'm now very cautious about what he's going to do. Before I have a chance to think about it Natsu yells out something that makes my heart stop and blood run cold.

"Metal head. Get over here!" No there's no way he's going to do this to me. I literally just told him about my fear so what is he doing? I struggle against his grip on my wrist but it just tightens so I can't get away.

"What? You wanna fight Salamander?" Gajeel is now standing in front of Natsu and i'm trying so hard not to freak out since I can't get away from him. Natsu's presence is helping a bit but i'm still terrified, I get closer to Natsu and basically hide behind his back so I can't see Gajeel anymore.

"Actually no I don't, I do however want you to apologize" Natsu says. Natsu is acting very mature right now which surprises me, Taking a quick look around the guild I can see anyone who has been listening is as surprised as I am, but probably for a different reason.

"I ain't done nothing to you worth apologizing for" Gajeel seem pretty mad right now, this is not going to go well.

"Not an apology to me Iron freak, You need to apologize to Lucy" Natsu pulls me out from behind him and pushes me in front of Gajeel while still holding onto me.

"Bunny girl? What for?" He asks and i'm slightly offended he doesn't remember what he did to me. I mean I obviously still remember it quite clearly.

"Because from what I remember when I got to you in your guild you were about ready to kill Lucy, Plus she was already badly bruised and beaten when I got there so who knows what happened beforehand" I heard everyone around us gasp. I guess no one really knew what had happened after I was kidnapped.

Gajeel looks down at me menacingly and I start freaking out again. I hate it when he stares at me. "N-n-o G-ga-jeel i-t's fine. I completely forgot ab-bout it." I smile at him hoping that I don't seem scared. I don't want to do this at all let alone in front of the entire guild. I heard a sigh and saw Gajeel with his eyes closed looking down. He must be so embarrassed right now.

"Actually I meant to talk to you about that Bunny girl." I look at him surprised. What is he talking about. There's no way he is actually apologizing. "What I did back there, you know, in Phantom. It was way out of line and I shouldn't of hurt you like that. I'm sorry"

Every one has gone dead quiet including me. He actually just apologized to me. Now I feel bad about being so mean to him by always freaking out when he was near. He must have noticed and it must have made him feel terrible knowing his past mistakes were still affecting people.

"It's fine I was just overreacting and i'm sorry about that too. And also you're forgiven" I tell him and I can just about hear him sigh in relief. This feel so good now that i'm not afraid anymore. I feel Natsu finally let go and I just know he' going to start a fight. He has to make up for acting so serious for so long.

"Now that that's over and done with. Fight me Metal head!" Natsu yells startling everyone else out of their quiet states. They go back to what they were doing before Natsu and I came in and others get ready to join in the fight.

"Bring it salamander, you ran off before I could beat your ass earlier!" Gajeel yells back and all is right in the guild again. I go to the bar and get a strawberry milkshake.

I watch Natsu and Gajeel fight and smile. At least now I know I will always have someone there for me whenever i'm afraid of anything.

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 **Well thank you for reading my story. Please leave a review, would be much appreciated. Bye.**


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